Hasta La Gadget!

Who woulda thunk it? Half a year ago, finding a conventional point-and-shoot with integrated GPS was a chore, but these days, it’s growing tougher and tougher to find one without it. Pentax is joining the geotagging frenzy this evening with its Optio WG-1 GPS, a rugged 14 megapixel shooter that’s waterproof up to 33 feet, shockproof in nature and engineered with a “crushproof” body that can withstand weight force of up to 220 pounds (but not another Black Eyed Peas halftime show). You’ll also get integrated face detection technology, the ability to snap in sub-freezing temperatures, a 5x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch rear LCD. There’s also a 720p movie mode, HDMI output, IR control compatibility and support for Eye-Fi‘s wireless SD card. It’ll ship this April in black or yellow-green for $399.95, and if you’re uncomfortable remembering where you took each and every photograph, the GPS-less Optio WG-1 will also be available (in black or purple) for $50 less.

In related news, the company is taking this opportunity to issue a limited edition K-5 DSLR, with this one touting a silver body, a uniquely shaped grip and shock-resistant, scratchproof glass surrounding the LCD. Outside of that, everything else about the 16.3 megapixel shooter will remain the same as it ever was, and the $1,699.95 (body only) price point is most certainly no easier to swallow. For those still sold on the idea, Pentax will also be offering a trifecta of silver prime lenses: the 21m f/3.2 AL, 40mm f/2.8 and the 70mm f/2.4. Check out Sir Silver (and the full press releases) just after the break.

Continue reading Pentax reveals Optio WG-1 and WG-1 GPS rugged cameras, limited edition K-5 DSLR

Pentax reveals Optio WG-1 and WG-1 GPS rugged cameras, limited edition K-5 DSLR originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not looking for a new PowerShot? How’s about a new DSLR? Canon has just rolled out a new entry-level Rebel and a new flagship Rebel this evening, with the T3 (1100D) and T3i (600D) offering mild updates over their predecessors. The EOS Rebel T3 will ship at the end of March with a EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II zoom lens for $599.99, offering up a 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 Imaging processor, nine-point autofocus system and a 63-zone dual-layer metering system. You’ll need to provide your own SD, SDHC or SDXC card, but unlike entry-level bodies of the past, this guy will capture full-motion video at 1280 x 720. There’s an ISO range of 100 to 6,400, a pop-up flash and a newfangled Basic+ non-technical interface that should help beginners grow accustomed to more technical aspects of photography without the steep learning curve.

Stepping up, there’s the new T3i, which boasts an 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, an ISO range of 100 to 6,400, support for SD / SDHC / SDXC cards, DIGIC 4 Imaging processor, pop-up flash, integrated Speedlite settings (to go along with a few new Speedlite flashes also introduced today) and a tilt / swivel LCD monitor. It’ll ship at the start of March for $799.99 (body only), or $899.99 bundled with a EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II zoom lens. Hit the source links below for the devilish details, not to mention information on two new telephoto lenses (the EF 500mm F/4L IS II USM and EF 600mm F/4L IS II USM).

Continue reading Canon trots out Canon Rebel T3 and Rebel T3i DSLR cameras

Canon trots out Canon Rebel T3 and Rebel T3i DSLR cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikon’s done the projector-in-a-camera thing before, but the S1100pj was aimed at the compact digital camera crowd. In what appears to be an effort to take its game to the next level, the company has obtained a Japanese patent for a way to give a DSLR those same mythical projector capabilities. Though the patent’s english detailed description states that images are “projected on the screen of the photographing instrument exterior via the eyepiece of an electronic view finder,” something may have been lost in translation — the drawings show the projection coming out of the camera’s lens, and our hopes and dreams won’t let us see anything else. Regardless of how the thing works, we hope that Nikon puts it into production soon, as we — proud members of the “serious” photo-snapping crowd — would like to share our pics at parties, too. Hit up the source link for the translated patent documents, but be aware that the link won’t work in Chrome (IE or Firefox only) and you’ll need to put in “A” for the Kind code and “2011-10098” in the Number field to get them. What, you thought surfing the world wide web was easy?

Nikon patents DSLR camera / projector, high-end photographers may get to join the projection party originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like the Sony A560 DSLR but need a few million more pixels at your disposal? That’s basically what you get with the A580, a successor to the A550 and doing basically everything the A560 does — but with a 16.2 megapixel sensor. So it sports 1080i recording, a 3-inch tilting LCD, and 7fps burst shooting, but can’t match the continuous autofocus of the funky A55 and its mystical, magical, translucent mirror and overheating sensor. Overall performance and image quality are said to be good, with minimal noise up to ISO 1600 and fancy modes like HDR built in. All yours for about $899.

Sony A580 reviewed: 16.2 megapixels of mid-range DSLR goodness originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A DSLR / MP3 player / speaker for a mere $83? Well, two out of three ain’t bad.

The Canon DSLR / MP3 player / speaker is both more and less than it seems (but mostly less) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 23:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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